Ernesto Carman

Ernesto Carman, a native-born Costa Rican (tico), speaks fluent English and Spanish and is one of his country's most outstanding naturalists and bird guides. He conducts research on Cerulean Warbler migration, has tallied migrant raptors at Talmanca, and has studied orchid distribution. Ernesto is one of few scientists with extensive experience observing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds within Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Belize. He has been involved since 2004 with Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project, the only long-term banding study of RTHU on their Neotropical wintering grounds. Ernesto's family runs Finca Cristina, an environmentally friendly coffee farm near Paraiso that uses shade-grown organic techniques and recycles processing materials.

Testimonials

"I cannot imagine a more perfect guide than Ernesto - excellent at spotting the birds, made sure everyone got to see it... was so knowledgable, often giving extra information about habitat, bird behaviours, etc. Also, he has the perfect disposition - has patience, a sense of humour, and loves sharing his knowledge." - 2017 Costa Rica tour participant

"His birding skills are amazing and greatly exceeded my expectations. His ability to locate and identify birds is truly amazing. I learned a lot and hope to put it to work as a birder myself. He was very accomodative of all of the group and assisted us all in seeing the birds he located." - 2017 Costa Rica tour participant

"Ernesto has extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna of Costa Rica, plus the history and culture; he was always willing to share his knowledge. He was patient and understanding of the diverse knowledge, experience and abilities of the tour participants. He was particularly keen to ensure that everyone had an opportunity to see the birds and other sights. We were very priviledged to have him for our guide." - 2017 Costa Rica participant

"Ernesto was wonderful. His skill and passion was so enjoyable. He was very careful to see that we all found the bird and saw it in the scope. He knows Costa Rica and where to find it's birds." - 2016 Costa Rica participant

"Ernesto is a 'Rock Star' birding guide - knows birds by sound and sight- knew all the birds instantly." - 2016 Costa Rica participant

"Ernesto truly loves his birding. He was well organized and knew where to find the birds. He was an excellent guide." - 2016 Costa Rica participant

"Ernesto was amazing - so knowledgeable, such as great ear and eye, so patient, calm and yet funny too." - 2016 Costa Rica Wings participant